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Watch A Visual History Of Supergirl/Kara Zor-El

It’s tough being Superman’s cousin. During her history (which is longer than you might expect) Kara Zor-El has been an orphaned Kryptonian (aren’t they all?) trying to keep her powers a secret, a confident college student, a shape-shifting alien named Matrix, and a darkly modern alien controlled by her emotions.

Early on, not much ever changed in the world of Superman. Lex Luthor was a constant threat, Lois Lane was trying to discover Superman’s identity, Jimmy Olsen was perennially in trouble, and by the time any issue was over, everything was back to status quo. Supergirl signified the first lasting change the usually static character ever experienced. Otto Binder and Al Plastino introduced Superman’s cousin in the pages of Action Comics #252 (May 1959).

It’s here that we find the foundation of nearly every version of the character to follow: a brave and heroic teenage girl who, while as brave and powerful as her cousin, lived a life of loneliness and isolation. Supergirl was Kara Zor-El, the daughter of Superman’s Aunt Alura and Uncle Zor-El, and survived the destruction of Krypton when her home, Argo City was blasted clear of the exploding Krypton. Kara’s father built a dome and the city thrived in space until a meteor shower smashed the city. Zor-El followed in the footsteps of his brother Jor-El and rocketed Kara to Earth. Now, Earth had two Kryptonian champions.

With that, before the upcoming CBS series with Melissa Benoist as the titular character, now is a great time to take a look back at Supergirl’s lengthy history. Whether you’re new to comics, new to DC’s heroes, or a long-time fan looking to re-familiarize yourself with the eccentricities of superhero continuity (or maybe engage in some hardcore nitpicking), we hope you’ll enjoy this tribute (from the good folks over at Comics Explained) to the most super girl in the DCU.